Unspoken
by Nando the RPS King
Summary: Reno POV 'I don't know why Tseng even bothers trying. We both know Aeris'll choose me in the end.' AerisReno AerisTseng
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. Please don't sue me, Square.

* * *

Unspoken

Chapter One

* * *

This time I spot her before she spots me. Wearing her favorite pink dress, she's kneeling in the center of the abandoned slum church. As usual, she's working on her flowers, and she's got her back to me this time. Heh, I thought she was more cautious than this. A smirk rises to my face as I creep silently towards her. I've been here often enough that I know where all the squeaky floorboards are. She's making it too easy. "Gotcha!" I shout triumphantly as I wrap my arms around her and lift her into the air.

She makes a cute little shocked noise, almost a squeak, before she recognizes me. "Reno!" she gasps.

"Hey, babe."

"You almost made me break one of my flowers," she complains.

"Sorry, but I'm here on a mission. I'm here to capture the last of the Ancients... and take her to a play." I then produce two tickets to 'Loveless' from my left sleeve with a little flourish. Just a little slight of hand, but it always seems to go over well with the ladies. Not surprisingly, I get a smile and a giggle out of her. I dunno if it's for the trick or the corny line, but either way it's worth it to hear her laugh.

"Oh, I like that one."

"What, you've already seen it?"

"Uh-huh. Tseng took me to it last week," she informs me cheerily.

Damn. A point to you, boss. Well, nothing I can't deal with. "We could always see another if you want," I smoothly offer without missing a beat or showing any jealousy. Professional respect aside, I don't know why Tseng even bothers trying. He may've taught me everything I know about being a Turk, but he's not half as smooth with ladies as I am. We both know Aeris'll choose me in the end. I dunno why he's being so optimistic, that's not really his style. No, I know why. Kinda makes for an awkward situation, the both of us being in love with the same woman...

"That's alright, I'd like to see it again. Could you put me down so I can go clean up?"

"Sure." There she goes, headed over to the church's bathroom to wash the dirt from her hands. While she does that, I take a moment to review my plan to slip her past upper-plate security. It won't be the first time I brought her up there, but there's still a risk. If the company finds out I'm doing this instead of bringing her to Hojo's lab, well, let's just say I'd be lucky if my job was all I lost. Never thought I'd take a risk like this for a girl, but there's something about her. Words aren't good enough to describe what I feel around her, but I'd do almost anything to keep it from ending. Ah, looks like she's ready to go.

* * *

"You know, she's just using you two," Rude announces as I step into the Turks lounge. Just like him to get straight to the point instead of wasting words.

"Hey, I already told you, you can't play a player."

"So you're playing her?"

"Hell no! You think I'd take a risk like this just for a little tail?"

"So you have feelings for her?"

"Well... don't go telling anyone, but yeah." I wouldn't tell this to anyone else, but I know I can trust Rude. It's not the first secret of mine I've given him, and he's never let any slip.

"Tell her yet?" he asks me. Damn, this guy can be relentless when he thinks there's something worth talking about.

"Not yet."

"Why?"

"None'a your damned business."

"Hey, you wouldn't leave me alone until I admitted having a crush on that bartender. I'm just returning the favor."

"Yeah, I remember her. You never would talk to her, except to order drinks. What was her name, Tina?"

"Tifa," he corrects me.

"Heh, you've still got a thing for her, don't you?" He wouldn't be so quick to correct me on her name if he didn't. "Why don't you go talk to her, ask for her number?"

"That's my problem. Why don't you tell Aeris how you feel?"

"Same problem, I'd bet." It's hard for either of us to admit it sober, but the problem's courage. I haven't had this problem since High School, back when I was still trying to figure out how to talk to girls, but every time I try to tell her how I feel, my knees go weak, my stomach starts jumping around, and the words, they just won't come out.

"Possibly," he agrees. "Want to cut out early and get a drink?"

* * *

The president must be getting impatient or something, because I have some Shinra MPs assigned to me for 'Ancient duty' today. Not that big of a problem, I'll just have to arrange it so I can blame the dumb grunts for letting her escape, then I'll have some privacy next time out. It's a good thing I like to surprise her, if she knew I'd planned to take her to a park outside the city she'd be disappointed. And I hate to see her disappointed. Maybe I'll have time to do that after I get off work. I bet it's been a while since she's seen a sunset. Hell, it's been a while since I've seen one.

Strange, I wasn't expecting to see a guy in a Soldier uniform in here. Was the mission double-booked? No, his body language's all wrong for that. Bet he doesn't know who she is. This'll complicate things. Odd, he's acting like he's protecting her. He's rambling on about knowing me for some reason when the grunts come in behind me, and now he's ranting about spies. Hmm, stranger and stranger. Whoever this guy is, he's obviously not here on company orders. That's obvious enough for even the grunts to figure out, they want to know what to do about him. "I haven't decided yet," I tell them. He looks familiar for some reason, but I can't place him.

Aeris decides for me, yelling, "Don't fight here! You'll ruin the flowers!" before leading the guy into the back room. I can tell by his eyes that he's been injected with Mako, and he moves like he's been through Solider training. Heh, this could get interesting...

By time we enter the back room, Aeris and the renegade Soldier're up on the next floor. Of course, the grunts are looking around like dumbasses. "There they are, over there!" I announce, pointing up as they start to run. Guess it's time for my token effort. "The Ancient is getting away! Attack! Attack! Attack!"

Holy shit, they actually hit her. Good thing I made the grunts pack riot control carbines with rubber bullets. Looks like she landed alright. I knew teaching her how to take a fall right'd pay off some day. "Think we killed 'em? They shouldn't have put up a fight, I say!" Hmm, maybe a bit too dramatic, but it's probably best to lay it on thick, so the grunts all mention how loyal to the mission I am when they report back. Dumbasses.

"Well, go fetch her," I order the grunts, sending them down to her. Now she's calling for his help. Cloud, I'll have to remember that name, give the personnel database a visit later. Hmmph, showoff's trying to drop barrels on them. Actually hit one, too. Dumbass grunt should've been paying attention. The others don't do much better. It might not be my weapon of choice, but I've shown Aeris a few tricks for that staff of hers and she's putting them to good use. "You did good, babe," I tell her with a grin when she climbs back up to my level.

"Thanks, but why'd you bring company?"

"The higher-ups don't think I'm getting enough results, figured I needed help. Probably won't happen again after I report the grunts got in the way. So, who's the guy?"

"Cloud? I just met him," she tells me before giggling. "He fell through the roof a couple minutes before you got here."

"Heh, hell of an entrance. Must be kinda clumsy, with aim like that."

"You'd do better?"

"Throwing barrels at people isn't really my style. Nah, I'd've hit them coming through the door."

"I need to get going, before Cloud comes down to check on me."

I feel a sharp pang at the thought of her with that guy, but I try not to show it. Gotta show her my confident side, let her know I'm sure that guy's nothing and she'll come back to me. I want to tell her to ditch him and stay with me, though. "See you around, Aeris," I tell her instead. What's that saying, something about letting someone go if you love them?

"I'll see you later," she replies, then gives me a quick kiss on the cheek before running off. I call in a medical team for the grunts as I walk back out to the car. It's strange, I haven't had trouble talking to women for years. Hell, I even walked into a strip club once and talked a couple dancers into buying me drinks, just because Rude bet me two months pay that I couldn't. But here I am now, in love with her, and I can't tell her. Damn, I need a drink...

* * *

Hmm, Soldier records don't show anyone named Cloud. Sitting in my office later in the afternoon, I try a different tact and type in a query for mugshots of all Soldiers with blonde hair and blue eyes. Still no luck. On a whim, I search the full employee database for guys named Cloud and start browsing through the few who pop up. Jackpot. Huh, now this is strange. His records say he washed out of Soldier training, never got higher than an MP, and never had any Mako enhancement. Even odder, it also says he was killed in action during the Nibleheim incident. Maybe he was on a Soldier black-ops team? Mosta those guys're listed as dead in the official records, but if that's the case I oughta have a high enough clearance to see his real file. Wait a second, I think I remember him now. I pull up the report for a mission from not too long ago that was failed due to grunts interfering against their orders. Yeah, there he is, one of Hojo's escaped lab rats we were chasing. Written off as useless because Hojo needed both alive to continue his experiment. Bizarre. Let's see what Tseng makes of this. Leaning to the side, I pound my fist against the wall and shout, "Hey, Tseng! Come here, you gotta see this!"

A moment later, my boss's annoyed-sounding voice drifts through the wall from his office next door. "Reno, how many times do I have to tell you, just because our office walls are thin enough to shout through, does not mean you should do so."

I smirk before shouting back, "But boss, you're doing it!"

"Damnit, Reno! If you want to talk to me, either use your phone or walk over here!"

Heh, I got him pissed, now. "But I found something odd on Ancient duty!" That oughta get him curious enough.

* * *

"Hey, boss, what's up?" I greet Tseng as I walk into the lounge that's the center of the Turk office suite the next morning. He's usually hard to read, but he looks absolutely pissed right now.

"We have a mission."

"Where we headed?"

"I shall be retrieving the Ancient. You hav-"

"Wait, what?" I interrupt, shocked. Today's not his turn on Ancient duty, and he wouldn't phrase it like that, unless...

"It's over," he tells me. For a split-second, a look of intense sorrow flashes across his face.

I feel a sinking sensation, like the floor's just dropped out from under me. "What, Why?" I ask as a hollow feeling washes through me. "No, doesn't matter..." If there's nothing Tseng can do about it, then it really is over. Damn it all. Rage rises up within me, so cold that it burns as it fills the void caused by this revelation. I desperately want to smash something right now, preferably something big and expensive.

"Here are your mission details. Get to work," he orders me while handing me a file. Huh, looks like I get a mission appropriate to my mood. I get to smash a whole sector...

* * *

My rage still burns strong as I limp back from the terrorists on the plate support. Damn them, if they hadn't pushed the company by blowing up those reactors, the search for Aeris probably wouldn't have been intensified. I usually don't enjoy killing, it's just a part of my job, like writing memos. But the thought of these pieces of shit being buried under the plate brings a smirk to my face as I grab the zipline and slide down to the landing platform below, where Tseng's chopper waits.

My wounded leg gives me a bit of trouble climbing into the chopper, but I manage. And there she is, giving me a look like she's disappointed. All it takes is that one glance and my rage is gone, replaced by shame. I look away from her and slump into a seat. Rude asks, "Hey, you alright back there?"

"I'll live," I reply. But do I really deserve to, just sitting like this while a few feet away the woman I love is being taken to the place she fears most? Sure, I don't have much chance of success, especially wounded, but people're supposed to take chances for love, not act like a coward like I'm doing. Pathetic.

My mind wanders this damnable track for some time before a loud explosion followed by a rumbling draws me back to reality. There it goes. An eighth of the world's largest city, destroyed just because I didn't have the guts to take off, grab the girl, and run instead of taking out my anger and frustration on half a million somewhat innocent people.

I feel her hand on my shoulder and I draw away as far as my seat allows me. She hates me now, I'm sure of it. Her fingers are on my chin now, pulling me to face her. Probably wants to hit me. After betraying my love like I've done, I at least owe her the small satisfaction of a free shot. So, I let her turn me and find myself looking into two of the saddest looking eyes I've ever seen. I can only meet her gaze for an instant before I turn mine downward. I can't stand to see her like this, and I could've saved her from it. "Hey," she whispers. "Reno, I forgive you."

Shocked, my gaze rises back up as my jaw drops. She's actually smiling at me. "It'll be alright," she whispers, then leans over and kisses me. Just a light little kiss, but damn. The chopper lands before I manage to collect my wits enough for any coherent reply, and we all step onto the landing pad attached to our office suite.

"Rude, escort her to the lab," Tseng orders. She pauses for a moment while walking past the boss, then gives him a quick kiss before following Rude into the building. Tseng stands frozen for several moments before walking quickly into the building, followed by yours truly. I've never seen the boss flop onto a piece of furniture before, but that's exactly what he does when he reaches the battered leather couch in our lounge. "She... forgave me..." he whispers, almost too low for me to hear as he sits slumped on the couch.

He's obviously having second thoughts over what he's done, and I could easily twist the knife right now. Instead, I place a hand on his shoulder and say, "Yeah... me too..." Then I pull out the chromed flask I carry in my jacket and take a swig of the strong Gin it contains before passing it to Tseng. She was a real angel living among the trash of the slums, and we went and condemned her to a living hell. Hmph, what a display of love... Guess this makes us both cowards...

Tseng takes a swig and grimaces before saying, "Thanks, Reno. Now, quit bleeding all over my carpet and get down to the infirmary."

"Sure, boss." He obviously wants to be alone. Can't blame him, I'm gonna want the same after I get patched up. I leave the flask with him. He needs it and there's plenty more where it came from, back at my apartment.

* * *

I'm not sure what time it is, or even what day. I've been sitting on my couch for some time now, staring at nothing in particular and trying not to think too much. Suddenly, the security alarm goes off. Odd, that one only goes off when there's a security breach. Last time it went off, Avalanche was trying to break Aeris out, but failed. Curiosity overwhelms lethargy, and I reach over and flick on the monitor for my PC and pull up the security feeds to see what it is this time. Looks like someone's tearing the place up. He appears on a monitor for a second, slicing up a group of MPs. Sephiroth. What's with all these officially dead guys turning up lately? I notice that his path was close to the cells holding Avalanche, just two floors from my apartment. I smile for the first time in over a day as a plan starts to form.

* * *

Author's Note

I was originally going to make this a one-shot, but it's run on a lot longer than I planned, so I'm splitting it into two chapters. Maybe three, depending on how much I ramble. The bit about the Turks chasing Cloud and Zack comes form the Last Order OAV, which you should see if you haven't already. As always, big thanks go to Noroi for kindly betaing for me. And, of course, reviews are always appreciated. So, let me know what you think.

New note: Edited again because some site update deleted all the '--' lines I used to use to denote scene changes. So time to slap horizontal rulers into all my fics.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

* * *

I've deactivated the security cameras, so the guard's the only one who sees my approach. I'm still limping from my wounds, but I'll manage. The painkillers the company docs gave me keep the pain distant enough that I can focus on my goal. "Sir, what's going on?" the guard asks me.

"It's classified, chump. I'm here to move the prisoners, can't have them here with all this shit goin' on."

"But sir, without notification, I can't-"

"Why the hell you think I'm here, shithead? You're notified now, alright?"

"Sorry, sir, I'm going to have to call it in."

"Hey, do you know who I am? I say you move them, you move them!" I'm almost in arms reach now.

"Sorry, sir. I'll lose my job if I don't follow procedure." As he turns to the phone on the wall, I wrap my gloved hand over his mouth and clap the other onto the back of his helmet before twisting. Sorry, guy, I can't leave any evidence I've been here. Taking his keycard, I walk down the hallway, unlocking the cells. I beat on the first door as I walk past it again and head around the corner, where I hide behind a desk and wait. After a few short minutes that feel like an eternity, the members of Avalanche run past my hiding place along with Aeris. Well, I've done all I can. Hopefully, all the chaos caused by Sephiroth's reappearance and my messing with the security systems'll give them a chance to get Aeris out of here...

* * *

And I thought the trip to Costa'd be boring. Good timing, too, hearing that rumor about intruders on the ship right about when teasing the rookie started getting boring. It doesn't take me long to find one of them. Lucky for him, I recognize the big black guy in a sailor suit as a member of Avalanche. That means she's probably here, so my priorities for this little cruise just changed drastically. Guess I won't be tossing any stowaways overboard today...

* * *

It takes some time to find her, but I inevitably do. Even with most of her face covered by an MP's mask, I still recognize her. Plus she has a distinctive way of walking. I catch her eye as I approach and wink before walking past her and turning at the next hallway. I grin as I hear her footsteps following me. Walking all dainty, even in combat boots. Ducking behind the bulkhead, I wait for her to walk past me before reaching out and pulling her into the empty room that was behind me. Kicking the door shut, I smile down at the disguised brunette in my arms. "Hello, Reno," she greets me with a giggle. Hmm, guess she saw that coming. "What, you miss me or something?"

I grin. "Babe, it just hasn't been as much fun without you around." True, but not the whole truth. I wonder what she'd say if I told her I'd been thinking of her nearly every waking moment? As if I could say something like that...

"What, I'm just an amusement to you?" she asks, with a look in her eyes that tells me she's just teasing.

"Well, I wouldn't want my favorite amusement to get hurt," I joke right back. "Seriously, I'm glad you got out alright." And I'm glad we'll be on this boat for several more days. I'll have to make the most of the time we'll have together...

* * *

The guards fail to spot me as I slip into the stables at the Gold Saucer. Once inside, I remove an injector from my jacket and begin injecting all but one of the chocobos slated for the next race with a mild sedative, just enough of a dose to throw them off and guarantee victory. I've used this trick in the past when I've needed a bit more spending money, but now I have a more important reason. I don't really like the idea of helping Spike, but it's the most efficient way to quickly get Aeris out of the desert prison without taking overt action.

* * *

From my observation post, I can see Spike, the lab rat, and Rude's favorite bartender follow Bugenhagen into the caves behind Cosmo. The rest of Avalanche split up to take in the sights. Unable to pass up the opportunity, I leave my hiding spot, disguised as a local. "Hello Reno," Aeris calls out as I walk up behind her at the Cosmo Candle. She doesn't sound right. Her voice sounds dull, almost lifeless, and she has a worried look on her face as she sits with both hands pressed over her stomach.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I ask as I sit beside her.

"I can hear the Planet clearly here, more clearly than anywhere else I've ever been. I know what I have to do now and... I'm scared."

I've never seen her look this worried before, not even when we were flying her to Hojo's lab. Whatever she saw must've been a real doozy. I lean a bit closer and wrap my arms around her, pulling her close. "There anything I can do to help?"

"Aside from what you're already doing, no."

I can't stay out in the open like this for long, no telling when her teammates'll come back. So I slip a hand under her legs and carry her the short distance to the Shinra safehouse I was using to watch Avalanche. "Hey, I bet if you told me what you're gonna do, I'll think of a way to help you."

"Sorry, but all I can tell you is that I'll stop Sephiroth in a way that only a Cetra can," she says as I kick the door shut behind us.

"What, you're going to fight him? Hey, I can help with that," I assure her as I sit on the couch.

"No, I'm not going to fight him, and there really isn't anything else you can do to help." It's a shame to hear that, but I do the little I can anyway, holding her tight until she has to rejoin her team. I still can't bring myself to say what I feel, but they say actions speak louder anyways. She's always been unusually perceptive, and she doesn't seem surprised when I steal a quick kiss as she leaves.

* * *

This's definitely been one of my more interesting vacations, even if we're only off for the weekend. I'm gonna have to find Tseng when we get back, see if I can talk him into an extra half-day of vacation time to make up for all the time we spent chasing around Corneo while off the clock. As Rude and I step out of the bar, we find a nice surprise, both of our crushes, out for a walk. "Hey, ladies," I call out with a grin.

"HI Reno!" Aeris calls out with a smile.

She may be happy to see me, but her friend with the big jugs definitely isn't. She takes up a fighting stance and demands, "What do you want?" Gives me the glare of doom, too. I keep grinning in spite of her glare, I think it's starting to piss her off.

"Hey, easy, there." I say, hands held up in a peaceful gesture. "I'm still on vacation, remember? Besides, just 'cause we're on different sides, doesn't mean we've gotta hate each other. Right, Aeris?" I ask, holding my arms out towards her.

My heart catches in my throat for a moment as I wonder if she'll deny me in front of her friend. Relief washes through me when she says, "Makes sense to me," and steps into my waiting arms. I also take some satisfaction in the shocked look on her friend's face, her jaw and her guard dropping at the sight of her friend and enemy standing before her with their arms around each other. Heheh, that gives me an idea...

"Hey, Rude, I just got an idea," I announce. As he turns to hear my idea, I swipe his shades and hand them to Aeris. He opens his mouth to complain, but before he can say anything I deliver a quick kick right below his knee and shove him hard in Lockheart's direction. Off-balance from my kick, he collides with her and they both automatically grab one another to recover their balance. "Ha, I thought so! You two look good together," I announce.

"Yeah, you two'd make a cute couple," Aeris agrees. Heh, they're both blushing pretty good now. Fun. Guess they're so embarrassed, they forgot to let go of each other after regaining their balance. Aeris reaches over before either has a chance to recover and perches Rude's shades on top of her friend's head.

"Heh, nice touch. Well, you two have fun, we're gonna go for a little walk now," I say before turning and walking Aeris in the direction of the Da Chao.

"That was fun," Aeris says with a laugh as we begin to make our way up the path between the large carvings in the mountainside. "So, what're you going to do when your vacation's over?"

"Hey, now, you know I keep my work and personal life separate. That'd be like me asking how you plan to get around not having the keystone."

"Sorry. I was just wondering if we'll have to make a quick exit in the morning."

"Don't worry, I won't be officially back on the job until I report back to headquarters. So I'm not gonna go attacking your friends in their sleep or anything like that."

"Good, one less thing to worry about."

"You still worried about what you saw in Cosmo?"

"Yeah, it's a big responsibility."

"You gonna tell me what you saw yet?"

"Nope," she replies with a little smirk.

"What, don't you trust me?"

She looks serious now. "I trust you. But I know you'll end up getting hurt if I tell you. Could we talk about something else?"

Not much left to talk about. "Stars look nice tonight," I offer.

"Yeah," she agrees. I'm not sure how long we stand on Da Chao's summit, arms around one another as we watch the stars, before she decides she needs to get some sleep. Time's not important right now. Instead, I lose myself in the moment and enjoy it while it lasts.

* * *

Well, that was an easy mission. Disabling the Gold Saucer's ropeway to keep Avalanche from leaving so Tseng gets a chance to snatch their recently acquired keystone was child's play. And now, I'm off duty until the staff gets it fixed. And I made it very clear to the mechanics that they won't get it fixed before morning unless they want to go base-jumping off the Saucer without a parachute. So, I've some time to kill.

I take up a position hidden behind one of the fake gravestones in front of the hotel and use a compact laser microphone to eavesdrop on Avalanche's meeting in the lobby. I don't learn anything I won't hear via Reeve's robot, but this way I don't have to wait for the info to filter down to me. Won't get anything censored by my bosses, either. Alright, they're calling it a night. Almost time to make my move. As I give them a few minutes to get into their rooms, I'm surprised when Spike and Wallace leave the hotel and head back into the park.

I wait a few minutes more and start to get up when the hotel door opens again, causing me to duck back into my hiding spot. My heart sinks when Aeris steps out, arm in arm with Tseng. Damnit, boss, I thought you were supposed to be busy stealing the keystone... I now find myself regretting that I'm stuck in this damned theme park until morning. I sit still for several minutes, fighting back the urge to scream out my frustration. As soon as I feel that I'm in control again, I rise and enter the hotel, heading straight for the bar in back.

* * *

Looks like the rookie's freaking out over something again. Heh, never seen her this frazzled. I wonder if she found those crickets I filled her desk drawers with? Hard to tell, what with her being out of breath and trying to talk faster than her mouth can work as she runs up to me at our little field headquarters. Wait, I distinctly heard 'Tseng' and 'hurt'. Could be important. Giving her my best cold glare, I plant my hand over her mouth. "Shut up. What the hell do you think you're doing, rookie?" Before she can recover, I continue, "Turks don't panic. Are you a Turk, or some dumbass grunt who put the wrong uniform on this morning?"

She spends a few moments fighting for her composure after I let go before answering. "I'm a Turk, sir."

"Good, now report, Turk."

She takes a few deep breaths before speaking again, obviously fighting to keep her composure. "Tseng, he... he sent a distress signal from the temple."

"Yeah, even he gets hurt sometimes. Probably nothing too serious if he's able to send a signal."

"But sir, the signal cut off after a few seconds and... and surveillance shows that the whole temple just dissapeared!"

"Wha... Alright, follow me," I order as I pull out my phone and start walking towards the helipad. "I need a med-evac team at the Temple of the Ancients, now!" I order as I wave a group of grunts to join us.

"But sir, the temple, it's gone!" the rookie squeeks. "Tseng..."

"The temple doesn't matter," I say as I start the chopper's engine. "We'll find him, bring him back." Damnit, Tseng, you better not've gotten yourself killed...

* * *

Author's Note: Well, there's another chapter down. As always, thanks go to Noroi for betaing. Sorry for the delay. Real life's kept me kinda busy lately. Hopefully the next one won't take me so long.

New note: Edited again because some site update deleted all the '--' lines I used to use to denote scene changes. So time to slap horizontal rulers into all my fics.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

* * *

Holy shit, it really is gone. I thought the rookie was exaggerating, but there's just a big damn crater where the Temple of the Ancients oughta be. I bring the chopper down a distance from the pit, so the rotor wash won't disturb any tracks Tseng might've left. "Spread out, find him!" I order as I jog towards the pit, carefully examining the ground as I approach.

"But sir, what if he was still in the temple?" the rookie asks, voice on the verge of panic.

I point towards the jungle. "He limped off that way."

"What? How do you know that?"

"You sleep through wilderness training or something, rookie? Look!" I point to some distinctive scuffs and impressions in the ground before continuing, "Someone in dress shoes, Tseng's size, limped away here. He can't be hurt that bad." That said, I turn away and head towards the jungle at a quick walk, careful not to lose sight of his tracks. The rookie and the grunts run ahead, yelling for Tseng. Dumbasses. I should've come alone.

* * *

It's no surprise that I find him first. He's still alive, but my scan materia tells me he's got a punctured lung. Someone stuck him with something very sharp and slender, with a slight curve to it. He's lost a lotta blood too. It may be too late to heal the damage with my materia, but I can still use it to stabilize him. His eyes begin to open after I hit him with a couple cures. "Easy, boss, it's me. You're gonna be fine."

He tries to talk, and ends up spitting out a mouthful of blood instead. "Reno?" he asks, eyes opening fully.

"Yeah, boss, It's me." I then turn on my radio. "I found him. Get your asses over here immediately."

"I got... careless, let Sephiroth... thought I could handle him... I've one last order for you..."

"Don't talk like that, man, I ain't about to let you die," I insist as I grab his hand.

"Take care of Aeris, please...," he asks.

"Hey, knock it off, boss. You're not gonna die. It's just a punctured lung, no big deal. Medics're on the way. You're just gonna get some paid vacation in the hospital, that's all." He slips back into unconsciousness before I can say anything else, so I focus on keeping him stabilized until the medics catch up.

* * *

As soon as I step out of the door to the operating room, Rude and Elena rush to their feet, eager for news. "He's gonna be fine," I inform them. "They had to take the lung out, so he's gonna be stuck in intensive care for a while. The docs figure it'll be a couple weeks till he's ready to get a new one transplanted, then at least a month before they'll let him go back on active duty. That makes me acting commander." Heh, the rookie doesn't look too thrilled with the idea of me being in charge.

"You, keep an eye on Tseng," I order her.

"Sir?" she asks, looking confused. "You think he's going to be attacked?"

"No. But being stuck in a hospital can get pretty damned boring and lonely. So unless we call you for something else, I want you in here, keeping him company. And try and sneak in some caviar, he really loves that shit."

"Th-thank you, sir!"

Heh, for a second there, I thought she was gonna hug me. Probably just confused the hell out of her. Now, that's the proper way to deal with a love triangle. If she does her job right, Tseng won't be getting in my way anymore... "C'mon, Rude, I got some work for you, too," I say as I turn to walk away.

* * *

It's just like Reeve said. Avalanche's holed up in Gongaga, Spike's in some sorta coma, and Aeris's gone. Slipped out of town just yesterday, so it shouldn't be too hard to find her tracks.

After spending a couple hours slowly circling the village, I find them. Looks like she's headed east...

Her tracks lead me to a port town so tiny, I'm having trouble remembering the name. Ah well, no matter. Tracking her oughta get easier, now. A ship's visible in the distance, steaming north. Hmmm, can't be that long since it left port...

A quick visit to the harbormaster's office confirms my suspicions. She's aboard, headed to Bone Village, of all places. Odd. Maybe she thinks she's being followed, that's an easy way to confuse pursuit. I put in a call for a surveillance plane to shadow the ship and a chopper to take me to Costa, where I'll board when her ship stops to refuel if she doesn't ditch it first. Hmm, may as well check around the port while I'm waiting, make sure she didn't ditch the ship from the start.

* * *

She's been avoiding me, but she's definitely on board. All I've managed to do is see glimpses of her out of the corner of my eye, and catch occasional whiffs of her perfume. Frustrating, but I have to admit it's damned impressive, doing this on such a small ship. Even now, standing at the ship's prow, I feel her eyes on my back. She's done this disappearing trick before, avoiding everyone for days at a time. Communing with the planet, that's what she'd always tell me she was doing when she decided to be social again. She'll be ready to talk again sooner or later, she always is.

But why head north? Nothing's on the whole continent but a couple ski resorts, a hand full of pissant villages, and a few archeological digs. But something up here's obviously worrying the hell out of her. If only I knew what it was, or could get her to let me help... Guess there's nothing I can do now but stick with her and wait. I'm sure I'll find out what she's up to soon enough.

* * *

I finally spot her as she leaves the ship and makes a beeline for the forest behind the village. I lose sight of her as she enters the treeline, but her tracks are easy enough to follow. Doesn't look like she's in much of a hurry.

The scent of her perfume's the only warning I get an instant before I feel a weight land on my back and soft limbs wrap around my torso. "Surprise!" she shouts, laughing.

"Holy shit, you almost gave me a heart attack!" I claim, trying not to laugh as I place a hand over my chest for dramatic effect.

"That's what you always say," she chuckles. "You know I can't let you surprise me so many times without getting you back."

"Heh, yeah, guess not. So, need a lift, babe?" I ask as I resume walking, placing my hands under her legs to help support her weight.

"Thanks, Reno," she says, resting her head on my shoulder. "You always were good at making me smile, I've really been needing that."

"Hey, no problem, babe." We walk in silence for some time after that. I've no idea where we're going, and don't particularly care. I'm too busy enjoying the moment, the sensation of her relaxing on my back, while it lasts.

I'm starting to think she's fallen asleep when she speaks up again. "I wish I could stay here with you."

"Why don't you?" I need to know.

"I can't. I have to fulfill my duty as a Cetra."

"Then take me with you."

"I can't do that either."

"Why?"

"I can't. If you go much farther... you'll die."

So, it finally comes out. I come to a halt and take a deep breath to steady my nerves. A cold feeling spreads from the pit of my stomach as I ask, "What about you?"

"It doesn't matter, it's my duty. You understand, right?"

"Yeah...," I understand duty, all right.

"I'm going to have to leave soon," she informs me, voice full of regret.

"Wait, before you go, I have to tell you something...," I try to keep my breathing steady as my pulse increases. C'mon, man, moment of truth, don't choke... "I... well, I... Um..."

"I know." She interrupts.

"Wha-?" I turn to look at her and she cuts me off by clamping her mouth over mine and kissing me passionately enough to send any doubts fleeing from my mind.

After what seems like an eternity, she pulls back and climbs off my back. "We don't have much time left..."

I hate seeing her look so sad, even more than I hate the desperation I feel creeping up inside me. "Can't you stay... at least a little longer?"

Her eyes close and her face assumes the serene expression that tells me that she's speaking to the planet. A smile comes to her face as her eyes open. "We still have some time." She kisses me hungrily as I wrap my arms around her. The forest floor makes a surprisingly soft bed as we make love for the first and possibly last time.

* * *

Some time later we lay on the fallen leaves, wrapped around one another and enjoying the blissful afterglow. "Thank you, Reno," she whispers into my ear, "for everything. I know we'll meet again someday. Be patient, I'll be waiting for you. Goodbye, Reno." She kisses me again, then suddenly disappears. Wait, I know that feeling. She used a stop spell to get a head start. Clever.

It doesn't take me long to find her tracks and I'm off, pulling my clothes back on as I go. Suddenly, I step through the treeline and find myself back in Bone Village. "What the hell?" I burst out. Looking down, I find her tracks and my own, leading back into the forest. Alright, I need to calm down. Obviously, I got sloppy and got turned around somehow. I can't go letting my emotions get the better of me like that.

I spend the next few minutes just standing there, breathing slowly. When I feel ready, I turn and head back into the forest, completely cool and focused on the task at hand. I refuse to accept that there's nothing I can do to help her. My focus is shaken a few minutes later when I find myself back at the village. By the fourth time I get turned around, I'm starting to get a bit pissed off. Alright, time to rethink this...

* * *

Damn forest. It's really pissing me off. I've tried everything I can think of over the last day and haven't gotten any closer to my goal. Even rappelling in by chopper, I ended up back at the village. And those damned trees, defoliant, fire materia, and even napalm hardly had any effect on them. So here I am, at the end of my rope, holding down a table in what passes for a bar in this shithole of a town. I've never felt so damned helpless before in my life. The locals claim there's some sorta curse on the forest, but there's obviously some way through. Maybe I'll have some new ideas to try in the morning. Or maybe she's already dead. I wipe my eyes and take another shot of cheap rotgut Whiskey, hoping it'll dull the pain.

The pyramid of shot glasses on the table in front of me's starting to take shape nicely when one of my least favorite voices interrupts me. "What're you doing here?" the former lab rat asks. I guess him staying in a coma was too much to ask for. And he brought his whole freakshow crew, too.

"Isn't it obvious?" I ask dryly, raising another shotglass in mock salute before throwing it back and adding it to the pyramid. "Now go away, you're making my buzz wear off." Strife stands there looking confused for a few moments before apparently realizing how dumb he looks standing in the middle of the inn with his sword out.

Guess this must be the only restaurant in town, too. I spend the next half hour building my pyramid and ignoring the losers seated on the other side of the room. No point even eavesdropping on them, they're obviously following Aeris, too. Kinda surprised they even made it this far, what'd she draw them a map or something? Ah well, doesn't matter. They'll find out for themselves how frustrating that damned forest is, soon enough.

* * *

Finally. They're leaving and I'm starting to get pretty smashed. Things're starting to look up. I'll probably be calling it a night myself pretty soon. Just gotta finish off this bottle, then I'll take one more up to the room I rented to finish myself off. "Um, excuse me." I look up at the voice and find Rude's favorite bartender standing in front of my table, intently staring at her shoes.

"Well?" I ask when she doesn't say anything else.

"Is... Is Rude here, too?" Well, this is amusing, she's actually blushing.

I smirk. "You really think I'd be drinking alone if my drinking buddy was here?"

"Oh. Sorry."

"What d'ya want him for, anyway?" I ask. Wow, I don't think I've seen anyone blush that bright before. On any normal day, I'd be laughing my ass off right now. Even in my current shitty mood, I manage to crack a smile. Guess the booze must be working.

"I... kinda wanted to talk to him again."

Those must be the world's most interesting shoes she's wearing, she hasn't looked up once. Well, may as well give my buddy a hand with his crush. "So, go talk to him," I say while scrawling out his PHS number on a napkin. "Tell him I said hi." She stammers something vaguely sounding like thanks before snatching the napkin and taking off, practically running. Wonder if she'll have the guts to call him? Ah well, back to the task at hand. Looks like about three more shots before I head upstairs.

* * *

I wake up with a blinding headache and no idea where I am. Opening my eyes reveals that it's too damned bright, so I quickly shut them. I open them more cautiously this time and see a mostly empty bottle of Whiskey on the floor in front of my face. I slowly sit up as I take in the dingy hotel room around me. Ugh, I really feel like shit. Haven't drank like that since Sector Seven... Suddenly, I remember why I'm here. Aeris. There's gotta be some way to get into that forest and help her. I stagger out the door while digging through my pockets, hoping to find some aspirin.

* * *

I arrive at the forest armed with a rope and a crossbow, thanks to some ideas Rude left on my voicemail last night. He was thanking me on the message too. Damned if I know why, but the last evening's still a hazy mess in my mind. Hope I didn't do something stupid like give him my car while I was drunk...

I can't put my finger on it, but something seems different about the forest. I shrug and assume it's just the lingering effects of my hangover. Huh, there's more tracks here. That's right, Avalanche came into town yesterday. Well, I doubt they're having much luck. I'll probably pass them while they're on the way out. I tie one end of the rope to my belt and the other to a crossbow bolt before firing it into the woods. Now, even if the forest messes with my head I shouldn't be able to get turned around. When I reach the tree my bolt's embedded in, I carefully fire it again, using the mark in the tree to make sure I'm still going in the right direction.

Sometime after the fourth time I fire the bolt, I find the spot where my tracks turn back, but Aeris's and Avalanche's continue on. Wonder how they did that? I can barely breathe as I step over the line where I had been turned back so many times before and breathe a sigh of relief when I pass it. Looks like I've finally beat those damned trees.

* * *

After several hours in the woods, I find a strange sight. A city built out of what appear to be giant shells. What the hell? I've never heard of anything like this being up here. And it's open to the sky, too. How the hell could it stay undiscovered like this? I should've been able to see it from the chopper when I rappelled down. Nothing about this damned forest makes any sense. Ah well, nothing I can do but press on. The tracks go into the city, so I follow them inside.

Inside, Avalanche's tracks wander all over but Aeris's lead directly to the center of the city. She obviously knew where she was going. There's another set of recent tracks too, but this one seems to be alone. Someone in old style Soldier combat boots, the type issued to officers back in the war. Aeris's tracks intersect the others repeatedly before meeting at the top of a staircase. As I climb down the strange crystalline steps I try not to think of the implications of ten sets of tracks entering the stairwell and only nine leaving.

At the bottom, I find nothing but a large platform with what looks like a small alter on it. A cold chill runs down my spine at the sight of a large pool of blood in front of the alter. Signs of battle cover the rest of the platform. Someone died here, or came very close to it. But who?

Searching for more evidence, I enter the water below the platform and spend some time swimming around with a flashlight. The first thing I spot are twisted remains, resembling those we found on the transport ship when Avalanche hitched a ride to Costa. Hojo called it Jenova's spawn, guess this's more of the same.

After coming back up for air, I continue my search and find something even stranger. A single piece of materia, glowing like it's being used. But no one's touching it. That goes against everything I've ever learned about that stuff. As I cautiously approach, I recognize the etchings on the small, crystalline globe. It's Aeris's.

She told me once that it was her mother's and that it didn't do anything. Even let me try it a few times, but I never could get a connection with it. Well, it's obviously doing something now. Hmm, Rude and Tseng couldn't connect with that materia either... I wonder, maybe you need Cetra blood to use it? I suppose it's got something to do with the task only a Cetra could do that she was so vague about. So, does this mean she won?

I return to the surface, leaving the materia untouched for fear of disrupting whatever it was she did with it. My eyes return to the pool of blood. Whoever was wounded there was obviously carried out. Deciding that there's no more clues to be found down here, I retrace my steps up the stairs.

* * *

The tracks from the old-style officers boots head straight into the mountains to the north while the others mill around a small lake before following. No, wait, they actually go into the lake. Why? I wade in, carefully scanning for evidence of what happened here.

I've seen many bodies in my time as a Turk, and in every stage of decomposition. So many, that I thought I'd been hardened to the point that seeing one couldn't disturb me, but this one shocks me to the core. Aeris. As my mind recoils in denial, my training takes over and I find myself activating my scan materia. It tells me that she hasn't been dead long, and was killed with a weapon identical to the one used to wound Tseng. Sephiroth did this. I should be burning with rage right now, but all I feel is a strange numbness. Part of me wants to stay down here, just let the oxygen run out and rest with my love.

No. She wouldn't want that, otherwise she would've let me come with her. The last thing she told me was to be patient. I may not've been able to save her, but I can at least honor her last request. Wait, there's something else I can do for her, too.

My lungs begin to burn as I swim for the surface, her body held in my arms. I don't know why her so-called friends just tossed her in a lake, but I can at least give her a proper burial.

Emerging from the lake, I spot the perfect place a short distance away. A small cherry tree, in full bloom. It's pure white petals are just beginning to fall, mingling with the brightly colored wildflowers surrounding it's trunk. She'd approve, I know it. Setting her down in the flowers, I get to work.

I don't have any proper tools, but I've used my combat knife as a spade before. It works well enough to move flowers aside and make room for a grave. She'd always laugh when I used this knife to help in her garden, working by her side...

It takes a bit of blinking before I'm able to see again well enough to get back to work. It grows increasingly difficult to control my breathing as the preternatural calm of shock wears off. No, not yet. I have to keep focused enough to finish this one last favor for her first. Gotta keep digging.

* * *

It's hard to dig with shaking hands, especially when my only tool's a knife, but I'm managing well enough. The grave's almost a foot deep now. Wiping my eyes, I look up and estimate it's almost midday. Working through the night, I should be able to lay her to rest in the morning.

* * *

After deepening the grave by several inches, I'm surprised to hear the sound of an impact directly in front of me. I blink several times, thinking I'm hallucinating, but there's still a shovel in front of me. My eyes follow the handle up and find Rude at the other end with another shovel over his shoulder and sorrow written all over his normally impassive face. I'm surprised I didn't hear him, there's a chopper behind him and those things aren't exactly silent. I take the offered shovel and he gets to work digging. Not trusting my voice, I follow his example. Thanks aren't really needed, anyway. He knows I'd do the same for him if the woman he loved turned up dead. Except if that happened, we wouldn't have to hide her in an unmarked grave, for fear of Hojo coming to reclaim his specimen.

Working together, we excavate feet in the time it took me to scratch out inches. The sun's just starting to set when we reach a full six feet. We don't have a proper coffin, but Rude brought a parachute from the chopper. The silk canopy'll serve well enough as a burial shroud. Wrapping it around her, I pause and kiss Aeris's cold blue lips one last time. For a moment I'm overcome with memories. "Damn, I miss you..." I whisper. I've never been the religious type, but she said she'd be waiting for me. Nothing I can do but trust that she was right about that. "I'll wait, too," I promise before covering her face.

It's hard to let go of her, to leave my lover in the bottom of her grave, but I've no choice. The petals from the tree continue to fall as we slowly replace the soil atop her. Setting the shovels aside, I pull my knife again and begin transplant the flowers I'd moved back onto her grave.

* * *

It's dark by time I finish. I stand for some time before Rude takes me by the shoulder and leads me to the chopper. A few short minutes later and we're back in Bone Village. Right in front of the closest bar, he knows me well. No words are exchanged as we take a table in the corner and set to work, drinking our way into oblivion.

* * *

Author's Note: Wow, that was a hell of a long delay, wasn't it? Sorry bout that, folks, but I've been kinda busy lately. Among other things a hard drive crash when I was halfway done, job dis-satisfaction, a job hunt, and starting a new job since the last update've slowed my writing a bit. But if anyone's still reading this, please, review. Don't be an asshole lurker, tell me what you think of my fic. And as always, big thanks go to Noroi for betaing this. Go read her stuff after you're done writing me a review.

New note: Edited again because some site update deleted all the '--' lines I used to use to denote scene changes. So time to slap horizontal rulers into all my fics.


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